Golden
by RowlingTribute91
Summary: Cunning. Vicious. In the 58th annual Hunger Games, a legendary victor was crowned. These are Enobaria's Games, and you know she'll do just about anything to win.
1. Chapter 1

"Come on, Enobaria! You're better than this!"

My dad's voice. _Again_. I've been training for the Hunger Games for what- _ten_ years now? -And he still pushes me around. Forget that I'm fake-fighting my own sister. What can I say? Jetta's been at this longer than I have. She has me in a tight hammerlock, preventing me from moving. But he's right. I can do better.

I give Jetta a mighty push, and she falls to the matt. Then I take my sword to her chest. Pretend that I'm going to kill her. She weighs twice as much as me, so it's hard for her to get up quickly. Which wouldn't help at all if she were reaped today.

"Aand Enobaria wins!" our father announces. I extend Jetta my hand, and she rises, glowering. She hates when I beat her. The other tributes-in-training applaud. Their noise echoes around our basement in District 2.

Well, of course it's a basement. You think _any_ District actually allows us to train for the Hunger Games in public? Nope. This is like a fight club. With a more dangerous purpose. Good old dad, Lux Golding, leads our group every morning before we go do our jobs or attend school. There are about twenty people here of reaping age. We teach each other skills, perfect them, and master a weapon of choice. I love me a sword, personally.

Knives,

spears,

axes,

bows,

staffs,

darts,

clubs,

ropes,

boxing bags,

electronic targets,

monkey bars;

We've got everything we need here. Dad always shows off his prize-fighting daughters at the end of each session. Me? I just do it without question and know that I might be grateful for it one day. I mean, you can't be too careful, right? If somehow, I become a tribute, I'll go into the arena prepared.

"You've all been working hard," Dad says to us. "No matter what happens at the reaping, I'm proud of your skills. You should be proud, too. Any one of you could represent District 2 and win. Happy Hunger Games!"

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," we reply back.

He shakes hands with every group member as they leave, and then it's just our family; me, Jetta, Dad, and my mom. She's been watching from the sidelines.

"Way to go, Aria!" she exclaims. Her pet name for me. "Heaven help the boy who cheats on you. He'd get a serious whooping."

I laugh at her light-heartedness. "Any guy I go for," I say, "would be one who can give me a run for my money." Mom's always able to brighten even the gloomiest days, and unlike Dad, she never criticizes me.

We get busy clearing away the equipment, hiding all traces of illegal training. Who knows if Peacekeepers might come through and inspect? This takes about an hour. Then I follow Jetta to our latest work project: building axes at the workshop. It's all we've been taught to make so far, all we're allowed to make. Teen girls can't handle more than one weapon, so people around here believe.

Ha. Haven't they seen our past female victors?

We resurface from the factory in a few hours, and now the time is here. Another reaping. Our district wears red to reapings, but there are no other requirements. I still put on a dress. Mom and Dad would pitch a fit otherwise.

When we're dressed properly, Jetta and I go into the kitchen, where our parents wait.

Dad throws an arm around Jetta. "So, it's finally your year. Your last and only opportunity to volunteer. I hope you're gonna take it."

Um… did he just encourage his own daughter to kill herself?

"You bet I'm volunteering," Jetta replies. "I'm totally going to win, too."

"Just like I am when I'm eighteen," I remind them.

Mom strokes my cheek. "And those other tributes will be sorry."

"First she has to learn to disable opponents more quickly," Dad argues. "You still haven't broken Jetta's record for the fastest pin-down."

Yeah, I know. Ten seconds. I'll never get those numbers erased from my head.

"It's because she's so heavy!" I exclaim. "At least I don't have to worry about being fat. I could actually make a quick escape in the arena, which matters just as much. If not, more."

Jetta looks wounded. "Why are you being like this?" she asks.

"Look; you're not as good as you think you are, and… I-I don't wanna lose you." Deep down, it's absolutely true. I love my sister. Really, I do. Sometimes I forget that.

"I still wanna fight, Enobaria. We don't know how I'll do unless I go in. Besides, everybody dies eventually. The Games only shorten lives, not preserve them."

I let out a long, dramatic sigh, wondering what kind of world we live in, where she believes dying young is perfectly fine. Blah.

"Whatever," I say. "So long as you don't die a stupid death."

"There's my baby sis!" Jetta replies. She wears the biggest smile I've ever seen on her face. Aw, am I gonna miss her if she doesn't win.

But enough of that mushiness. We have a reaping to attend.

* * *

"Hello, District 2!" a woman calls out from the Justice Building stage. She's unfamiliar to me, but her outfit's crazy. I'm talking feathers- and I think she's covered _only _in feathers. The feathers are peach to match the highly unnatural shade of her hair. "My name is Doris Wicker and I'm just so honored to be the new escort in this year's 58th annual Hunger Games! Who's ready to meet your tributes?"

Everybody cheers, and I throw my fists to the sky. We're seriously pumped. I wonder if the other districts are this enthusiastic about the Hunger Games. If the Peacekeepers know _why_ we're this enthusiastic.

"First up," Doris says, "the girls." She skips to the female reaping bowl, so eager. Her fingers flutter for a bit over the papers before she picks one up and announces the lucky girl's name.

Me.

Is it possible to stop breathing even though your heart beats? Oh man. I can't. I can't I can't I can't- oh crap, I'm really gonna put my life at stake. Am I so crazy-

No. I'm a warrior, and I should look like one when I accept my fate. So I leave the line, with my head high. I march up in between the Peacekeepers, but we're not alone. Jetta runs behind them.

"I VOLUN-"

"Don't you dare!" I yell at Jetta. She's not taking this moment from me.

The crowd loves drama. It happens at basically every reaping. Mom and Dad, however, are shocked. Eh. I think they'll get over that once they remember _their younger daughter is risking her life so she can return home alive. _

As always, our boy tribute is selected next. It's no surprise that somebody volunteers. He's a boy I used to go to school with, eighteen just like Jetta. What was his name again?

"I'm Hal Dennison," he declares to all of District 2. He's incredibly tall, and his blonde hair, pulled into a ponytail, is lengthier than the ponytail of black hair that I call mine.

"Enobaria and Hal," Doris says, "You look like two fine young people. You'll be amazing tributes, no doubt! Am I right, District 2?"

My neighbors agree. Mom and Jetta are even chanting my nickname: "A-ri-a! A-ri-a!"

Dad offers me a slight grin, but I can see he's upset that I took Jetta's 'rightful' place. Why am I never good enough?

I'll make him proud in that arena. I will.


	2. Chapter 2

So, it turns out Dad wasn't disappointed in me. If anything, he said to me, he wanted to protect his baby girl. But-he made sure to emphasize the word _but_- he's not going to cry because the life hasn't left my body yet.

I can deal with that.

Hal and I walk into a train car with Doris and our mentors. There's Phoebe Lyme- who I hear is tough like a drill sergeant. She eyes me appraisingly, probably assessing my odds according to how I look. I've got plenty of muscle, but I'm relatively small; five foot one. And with tan skin, I don't sunburn easily. Some tributes have died from their sunburns, so that's another advantage for me.

Our other mentor is Brutus Gunner, victor of the 48th annual Hunger Games. He technically doesn't have to be here, since we've had other male victors after him (yes, more than one). But here he is. Bulky, balding, brooding. I'm glad I don't have to face him in the arena.

"So, Enobaria," Phoebe says as we sit, "Hal. Tell us a little about what you can do."

Yeah, that's how it is in District 2. Dive right in, no fooling around whatsoever. Not even for a second. Doris takes a seat and leans in to listen.

Hal says, "I'm pretty flexible with whatever weapon I can get, but my specialty is throwing spears."

"Swords," I tell them. We didn't even flinch about confessing to training in secret. And we had no need to, since Brutus and Phoebe did the same. Phoebe's a pro at the ax, and Brutus, well… he killed in a million different ways.

"When you meet the other tributes," Brutus adds, "it's a good idea if you think of them by their District numbers instead of names. It breaks their psyches and dehumanizes them to you. That's how I got by."

The car's television screen suddenly turns on. It's time to watch the other reapings. From District 1, there's a girl named Andrea and a boy named Link. They look pretty smug. Our district tends to ally with them, since we have so much in common. I see me and Hal being cheered on by District 2 next, and then District 3. When they get to District 4, my pulse rises anxiously.

I wasn't born in District 2. I once lived in the fishing district, until District 2's mayor called my dad to work for them. They wanted his assistance with making tridents and other fishing supplies, and who better to test out the tridents than a fisherman?

Now I definitely worry that a friend of mine from 4 is gonna be reaped. And when I see the District 4 girl…

"Oh my God," I whisper.

It's Lily Odair. My best friend. We still write to each other, and she just stopped going to school for work. She packages fish in ice to be sent around the country. Fun job, so she tells me. She's also been preparing for the Games in secret- many District 4 people do. Total trident maniac, Lily is.

I'm willing to kill anybody else. Not her.

* * *

My prep team is interesting, to say the least. Gaea and Demeter; a pair of twins who dress identically down to their white makeup; and Pan, District 2's designer. He's clearly injected himself with some chemicals, because his skin literally glows neon yellow. I bet it's extremely bright in the dark.

"This year," he tells me as the twins work on my hair, "you will be going in the parade as knights. I've made you a full suit of armor, a helmet, boots…"

When he said 'full', I now know that he was lying. I'm wearing an armored _bra_, exposing most of my chest. Hal doesn't get much coverage, either. Just shoulder armor and steel pants like mine.

"Looking good," Hal teases when we enter the Remake Center. He even has the nerve to wink at me.

"Are you seriously flirting with me?" I ask him. "We are _not_ pulling the 'star-crossed lovers' thing, if that's what you had in mind. I'll take my route, and you can take yours. Got it?"

He steps backwards. "Chill out. I can't goof off for one second?"

"No. We have to prove that we didn't waste our lives for nothing, and it starts now. Sponsors are gonna be watching!"

Two chariots down, I see Lily. She has on this dorky sailor outfit that's a disgrace to her beauty. But even so, she's gorgeous. Her brunette curls bounce as she walks over to me.

"Well, this isn't how I pictured meeting you again," she admits.

"Me either."

We share smiles and hugs, like nothing has changed. Like we're not tributes. Behind Lily follows her district partner, Marius Ackerman. I know him, too.

"Hey, Marius," I say.

He offers a weak grin- which I don't blame him for. "Hi, Enobaria."

This kid was so small when I last saw him, and now his voice is deeper, his muscles bigger. He's completely grown up, fifteen years old now. I stare in his blue eyes and I know that he's overwhelmed by what we're doing here. He's not saying much because he's trying not to care about anybody he might kill.

Two can play at that game.


	3. Chapter 3

"How's your family?" I ask Lily as I stroll with her, Hal, and Marius to the Training Center. The four of us have already agreed to be allies.

"About the same as when you lived in Four. They're sad about me, of course. Finnick especially. He cried all the time while we said goodbye. You should see how much he's grown up since you left."

I remember little Finnick, Lily's youngest brother. She has four other siblings, too, but if she had to pick a favorite, I know it would be him. He's eight years old, if I'm counting the years correctly.

Lily smiles half-heartedly. "I'd just started teaching him some basic trident stuff, and he loves it. Dad made him a trident to practice with."

Aw. A pint-sized killer. Gotta start them while they're young.

We all work together at tons of stations over the next few days. Along the way, we gain two more allies: Link and Andrea from District 1. Link favors archery, it seems. Andrea, on the other hand, favors an axe. I wonder if she's ever used one that I made.

"Absolutely not," she tells me when I ask this, flipping back her fiery red hair. "I know you're from Two and all, but I make sure that my axes are created by pros. Not entry-level masons."

Snob.

I decide to navigate climbing a net, going from one rope to the next. Andrea is just a few paces ahead, and I have to say, she's good. Fast. But I keep at it until I surpass her.

Then Andrea nudges me with her elbow. At first, I think it's accidental. Until she does it three more times, harder. I'm on the edge of the net now. I try kicking her but I miss, and she gets another push at me. My face lands on the mat first. I roll to my right before I suffer any real damage.

I wipe blood from my nose, staring up at Andrea. "Yo, District One, what happened to following rules? Don't you know we're not supposed to pick fights when we're training?"

"I like doing what I want," she says. "And I wanted you out of my way."

"I'll be out of your way when I'm dead!" I shout.

Andrea lets go of her ropes and drops down in front of me, on her feet. "Then I don't have long to wait."

Oh, now she's done it. I grab her by the ankles, pulling her to the mat. Andrea delivers an uppercut to my jaw. I kick her stomach, and she clutches it in pain, wincing. But then I see her elbow dig into my ribs. There's something animal inside of me as we fight, bursting to get out. I had no idea it would feel so good. Normally our pretend fights in District 2 are with major pad suits, resulting in the tiniest injuries. Here, I don't have to hold back.

So I bite her wrist.

"Get up!" the lead instructor exclaims behind us. She yanks me away from Andrea. "This is unacceptable, ladies. I don't want any more rough-housing until you enter the arena. Can you behave yourselves just a little while longer?"

"Yeah," Andrea and I agree grudgingly.

Still I whisper to her, "We may be allies, but that won't mean anything once it's down to just our group."

"Oh, I'm gonna enjoy decapitating you…"

"We'll see about that."

* * *

Exhibition time approaches, and boy, am I ready. This is why I've toiled for hours in my family's basement, year after year. To get the perfect rating. A perfect rating equals the most sponsors. Nobody's ever scored higher than 10, but maybe I can shake things up today.

"Enobaria Golding," I tell the Gamemakers. "District Two."

It's my time to shine. I pull out all the stops with a sword, trying to defeat as many robot dummies as possible within sixty seconds. How do you fake kill a robot? They 'die' when you amass a certain amount of damage points, based on how hard and how much you strike them. But it's definitely not one-sided. The robots strike you, too, and keep track of your damage points. Get to fifty points, and you're 'dead'.

I don't gain any more than ten damage points, while I decimate four robots. Four robots in a minute. Awesome!

So it comes as no surprise that I earn a rating of ten.

"Your old man's taught you well," Phoebe remarks as we sit in our Capitol suite, listening to the tribute scores.

"Thanks." Yeah, I'm polite when I want to be.

What surprises me, more than anything, is that no other tribute scores as high as me. They all get nines or lower.

_You're going down, Andrea_, I think.


	4. Chapter 4

"And now, from District 2, let's welcome the lovely, the bold, Enobaria _Gold_ing!"

Caesar Flickerman cheers with his audience as I walk onstage. After the parade costume, I was worried about what my interview dress would look like, but I actually love it. True to my last name, it's made of golden fabric, ending around my knees. Gaea and Demeter gave me curls, which elegantly flow over my shoulders. I feel like a million bucks.

Heck yeah, I'm a winner. This is the ego upgrade I needed.

"Hey Caesar," I say, shaking his hand and smiling.

"You look confident," he declares while he helps me sit. "As you should be; the highest exhibition rating of all the tributes; the highest placing in the Capitol's prediction poll; and you come from the masonry district. I'm sure you've got loads of experience with making shelters and weapons."

"Yeah. I can use all of that to my advantage. And unlike _some_ tributes, I'm not afraid to kill."

"Oh snap!" Caesar exclaims. "You hear that, tributes? She's coming for you!"

Okay. Confession time. This isn't really going to be easy for me. I spend all night trying to sleep, but my mind races through a bunch of 'what-ifs'. Sure, I feel ready. I'm still just sixteen years old, practically a kid, and I'm more afraid than I want to admit.

Fear's a powerful thing.

* * *

One more breakfast in Capitol luxury, and then, my odds will be tested. But I don't wanna eat.

"Fill that stomach up," Lily insists. She practically shoves food into my mouth, which I nearly choke on. Not cool!

"What do you know," I say. "I suddenly have an appetite again."

Lily throws her head back, laughing. "Uh huh. Works every time. We are gonna own these Games, girl, and don't you forget it. Odair and Golding."

"Always," I reply as we bump fists. An old tradition of ours.

Please say we won't be the final two tributes. Please.

When my prep team comes to dress me, I take long, deep breaths. They put me in a tank top, t-shirt, cargo pants, boots, and a coat made of fur. Hmm. I'm a cavewoman. A primal beast in a teen girl's body. It kinda boosts me all over again, and my focus sharpens.

Inject me with that tracker.

Put me in that launch tube.

And do it before I change my mind!

Well, I got my wish. Now I stand in the circle of tributes, listening to the clock tick by. But more importantly, I observe our arena.

On my right is a forest, which I assume is the largest section. On my left is a massive hillside. It twists and turns for as far as I can see. Possibly, there's a water source up there somewhere. But I don't have to look far for water. The Cornucopia has a moat surrounding it. I'm not sure if this water's going to be drinkable, though. There are the usual bags spread out, filled with supplies and food.

Weapons are another case. One good scan is enough to tell me that we've only got one type of weapon to choose from: spiked, wooden clubs. They come in different shapes and sizes.

Ten final seconds wind down…

Let the 58th annual Hunger Games begin.


	5. Chapter 5

Off we go to race for our lives. I splash into the moat, and I'm instantly soaked to my knees. Once I reach the other side onto dry land, I find the perfect club for me. It's not huge, but the spikes are long. This could go deep inside somebody. Others fly by, grabbing bags and their own clubs.

I promised myself I'd kill at least one tribute in the bloodbath, so I follow the girl from District 5. As she bends over to take a bag, I swing my club at her neck. It impales her all the way through. Honestly, I could vomit after what I just did, but my life is more important than how I feel. I retract the club out of her quickly to look around and make sure nobody sneaks up on me.

Too late.

The District 7 boy approaches me with a massive club and swings. I duck just in time. Then he drops suddenly, a club stuck to his back.

Hal nods my way as he retrieves the club.

"Thanks," I mouth to him.

Around me there are screams, punches, blood spraying everywhere. Even kind-hearted Lily gets her hands dirty, striking a boy unconscious and raising her club again for the kill. One girl- I think she's from District 9- is getting her head beaten to a pulp by Link. While Andrea guts the boy from District 12 with her club's long spikes, I start chasing down another victim: the District 12 girl. She trips backwards under the weight of her bag, giving me the perfect opportunity to puncture her chest. Five times. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Marius hack away at the boy from District 3. Many tributes manage an escape, but it doesn't concern me. Let them hide for now.

Soon, the only tributes left at the Cornucopia are me and my five allies. As we gather more supplies, I pack another club in my bag (which I took from a dead tribute), and we take all the food we can find. There's no guarantee that we'll return to the Cornucopia, so why not?

Nine cannons explode in the air while we're at it. I'm responsible for two of them.

"Where do you guys think we should go?" Marius asks.

"I say we explore for a bit," Hal says, "and maybe find a tribute or two. Then, when night comes, we'll set up camp."

We're off to a good start in my book. I don't know if I'd make it far without allies, honestly. I've never hunted before. I mean, I could learn- and I'm gonna learn- but sharing what food we have helps me immensely. It's best to have people on your side… even when you might have to kill them later.

By sunset, we're exhausted. What's worse, we didn't see any tributes. None. There are still fifteen alive. I don't think the Gamemakers are happy right now.

"Where the heck are they?" Link asks us. We've decided to rest at the bottom of a steep hill, right where it opens up into forest.

Lily shrugs. "The arena's too huge, with too many hiding spots."

"We'll get some tomorrow," Hal promises Link.

"In the meantime…" Andrea trails off, a teasing grin on her face; "I'm bored. Why don't we play Truth or Dare?"

I roll my eyes when she's not looking. A child's game, in the middle of _this_? I am _so_ not going first.

"I'm in," Hal says instantly. Lily, Marius, and Link agree, too.

"Not gonna happen," I tell them.

Andrea narrows her attention to me. "What, District Two? Are you afraid to admit that you're not really a girl? You're beefy enough and hairy enough."

"If you shut up, I might let you live," I reply. "_Might_. But you won't listen to me, so… Whatever. I'll play along."

"I'll start," Andrea offers.

"So long as I get to dole out your punishment."

She stretches out her arms. "Be my guest. I pick Truth."

"You say you're really particular about what axes you use, but can you actually build an axe yourself?" I ask her smugly.

"No," she admits, as if it doesn't bother her. "What a lame question."

"It's lame that you criticize my work when you haven't even tried one of my axes, _and _you don't know what goes into making them," I counter. That shuts Andrea up.

"I'll take a dare," Link says to keep the game moving. "Marius?"

Marius looks caught off guard. I don't think he wants to play, either. "Oh, am I gonna give you the Dare?"

"Do it, man. Unless you'd rather die now."

"Okay, I get it! I'm thinking…" Marius is clearly terrified by Link's threat, and his expression reminds me that he's the youngest of us. The most child-like. "I dare you to… dance."

Suddenly, Link's not so high and mighty. Tough guy Link, dancing on live television? Marius is a genius. But Link does as he's asked, and he launches into his dance. I can only describe it this way:

Stomp.

Clap.

Stomp.

Spin.

Repeat. Absolutely no rhythm.

He lays down right after, red in the face. "Who wants to go now?"

"Me," Hal says. "I'll take Truth."

"Okay… Oh, I know. Are you a virgin?"

My district partner replies, quite happily, "No."

I almost laugh aloud. Didn't see that coming. When I think about it… Jetta revealed to me a month ago that she'd lost her virginity… They _are_ the same age, and they used to hang out together a lot…

Ew. Why did I even let my mind wander to such ugly territories? Now I'm scarred. If I return home alive, I'll have tons of questions for that sister of mine.

"I guess I'm next," I say. "Dare."

Hal crosses his arms and smiles. "I dare you to kiss one of these girls."

"What?"

"You heard me, Golding," he replies.

"What the heck. I'm going for it." My gaze goes from Andrea to Lily, and it's a no brainer. "Oh Lily…"

The Truths and Dares leave us laughing until our stomachs hurt. Honestly, I feel like I'm back home, goofing with friends. Are we really in danger? Could one of them kill me? Are we gonna starve? Are we secretly plotting against one another? Nah. Things are pretty good.

This could be so fun, I might just like it.


	6. Chapter 6

Yesterday went by in the blink of an eye. Fifteen tributes are alive. I'm still sad that I don't have a sword, but I think, given my performance so far, I could be in luck soon.

"First thing after this; we find water," Link says as we eat breakfast. Since each of us managed to snag food at the Cornucopia, I feel pretty spoiled, chewing into an orange.

We're all thirsty, though, which is worse than going hungry. My throat… ugh. It's drier than a hot day on District 4. I don't wanna talk.

"I remember seeing an oasis when we got here last night," Marius says. "It's on the other side of this hill. We just have to climb it again."

Andrea groans. She would, prissy girl that she is.

I climbed mountains, ten times the size of this hill, every week, in District 2, as part of my secret Hunger Games training. But I also did it for fun. Gets your adrenaline going and challenges your balance. Despite everything Panem restricts, we could explore the mountains if we wanted, so long as we upheld our school/work duties and the nightly curfew. Hills are nothing to me.

We find the water, which turns out to be a pond, right where Marius remembered it. There must be other sources besides this and the moat, because it's incredibly tiny. Unless, of course, the Gamemakers refill it every day.

"Hallelujah!" Lily croaks when we arrive. "Hydration time is the best time."

"Amen to that," Hal agrees, falling to his knees by the water.

I chuckle at their delirious behavior. "Well, if you're like this now, I can't imagine how you're gonna be in five days…"

Lily splashes water on me, laughing. We fill up our bottles eagerly, and I enjoy every sip of liquid goodness. Why did I never notice before how _delicious_ water is? I swear I could drink up this whole pond myself.

We hang around here for a bit, refill our bottles again. Then we cross the hills and travel west, deep inside forest grounds. Always watching for tributes.

Um, why was I so worried again? This is really easy when everybody else fears you. Even my allies are afraid of me, though they don't admit it. I can tell.

"You guys," Link whispers, pointing to a tree on the left. "I see smoke. Somebody's over there." He's right. Just around this tree, there's the District 10 girl, tending to a fire. Since he was first to spot her, we let Link take the lead. He sneaks up slowly. He has to be slow in compensation for his size. Inch by inch, Link is closer to his next victim. Just as he gets close enough, she spins to face us. Shocked.

Like she stands a chance. Link heaves his club at her skull, and the power behind his strike causes her to fall unconscious. Since we don't want her to wake up, the rest of us join Link to finish her off. I drive my club into her ankles. Lily and Marius both give her one blow to the back. Hal and Andrea beat at the girl's skull again,

And

_BOOM _

She is no more.

"Bye bye," Andrea says playfully.

* * *

The only death that day was our kill. I'm starting to agree with Andrea; this can get boring after a while. We're not always gonna be so fortunate, but I don't wanna waste time.

"Who's up for hunting?" I ask my allies the following day.

I'm not talking about animals.

Hal smiles. "When am I not? Dude, you know me, Enobaria. Who are we?"

"District Two," I reply.

"Be careful when we come for you," we finish in unison. It's a dorky cheer Phoebe made up to show our partnership. Right now I bet she's beaming at us through her television screen.

Andrea scoffs. "Please. District One is better than all of you. You too, Link."

"Whaaa?" Link replies mockingly. "Princess, my uncle is the _mayor_ of District One."

Lily and Marius make a hissing sound, like a fire fizzling out.

"Burn!" they say together.

"I'm gonna burn _you_ if you don't shut it, District Four!" Well, now. Princess Andrea's not amused.

"Is your uncle really the mayor?" I ask Link.

"Yeah. His name's Avery Knott, if you don't believe me. I mentioned him in my interview."

"Right," I reply, nodding. "I've heard the name."

We've started walking again when Andrea suddenly halts.

"Shh," she whispers. "Listen."

The leaves are rustling loudly. Then… a _thud. _Something big has either fallen or is walking towards us.

"Let's get out of here!" Lily shouts.

We don't need to be told. I hear two cannons during our flight through the arena. We run for quite some time, zig-zagging around trees and bushes, before we realize that no mutt is following us; but I don't feel dumb about it. Better safe than sorry. It must've been some gigantic tree or rock that we heard falling. Large enough to crush two people. I think they were together, since the cannons went off one right after the other.

"How many are left now?" Marius asks.

"Twelve," I reply. "Only half of the tributes, gone in three days."

"And we know where six tributes are," Link comments, meeting each of our eyes.

Don't tell me. He's deciding who the biggest threat is, and when he does, he'll eliminate them.

I should watch my back.

"The District 3 girl and the District 11 girl died today," Hal announces that night as the anthem plays. The rest of us have our eyes half-closed. He's acting as guard for the moment. Later, it'll be my turn; then Marius and Lily will follow. We've decided to change guard every three hours in the order of our districts, so Andrea and Link already took their shifts tonight. Weird sleep pattern, but it worked the first two nights.

That's right. Somebody could be stupid enough to ambush us. Believe me, it's happened before with past "Careers" (I guess that's what we're called), and it wasn't pretty for their opponents. Bloody mess.

"G'night," Lily whispers from the sleeping bag beside me. "Sleep tight."

"Awake tomorrow ready to fight," I reply. We just made it up ourselves this morning. See how extremely tired we are? Yeah. I need sleep.

And so it comes, gently, like riding on a cloud.


	7. Chapter 7

Day four flies by, and the most exciting thing that happens is gulping down bottle after bottle of water. Searching for tributes is a bust. Again. I feel like I'm walking on broken glass, always reacting to the slightest noise, and yet nobody dies today. Something's got to give soon. That's my final thought as I return to sleep- or something close to it.

The voice of Claudius Templesmith jostles me out of unconsciousness:

"Attention, tributes: Congratulations on making it to day five! Being that you only had one option given to you initially, we realize that by now you may be missing your weapon of choice. Fear no more. When dawn breaks, you'll find your prized weapons waiting for you at the Cornucopia, generously donated by sponsors. Use them wisely, because they will not be replaced. Good luck, and may the odds be ever in your favor."

My allies and I cheer.

"Yes!" I exclaim. "I hear a sword calling my name!"

Hal and Link give each other high fives and say, "Aww yeeaah!"

"Now we can really get this party started," Andrea remarks, clapping enthusiastically. "They're just begging for another bloodbath."

Marius grins slightly, but he doesn't say anything. I think he's a little afraid of killing and/or being killed. He was shaking somewhat after the initial bloodbath. Totally reasonable, of course. Still…

I bet he'll be the first one of us to die.

"Let's suit up, then," Lily says. From her bag, she produces a breastplate made of steel.

Andrea eyes her enviously. "Lucky…"

"Hey, I grabbed two of them. This one's yours if you want it," Lily replies.

"Oh," Andrea mutters, reaching for the armor. "Thanks."

As for me, I have shin guards and a small shield in my bag. That's all the armor I snagged, but I doubt anybody's gonna be close enough to hurt me. I slide the guards over my shins, regardless. We're all wearing some type of armor once we've prepped ourselves. Link wears steel boots, Hal has a helmet, and Marius, like me, has a shield. We were so focused on killing when we entered the Games that we haven't put any of it to good use yet. That's about to change. And, I remember, today holds a special significance.

"I just thought of something," I mutter as we head for the Cornucopia.

"What?" Hal asks.

"It's been five days, and the Games started on June 12th."

"Stating the obvious, much?" Andrea replies.

Lily and I both fire her with nasty stares.

"It's my birthday," I say.

Happy birthday to me. Seventeen years of life and this is what I have to show for it: Putting my life up for sale. Non-negotiable.

_You're the one who didn't let your sister volunteer, _I think.

"Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Hal says joyfully. "You've earned a birthday kiss."

"And here I thought you were attracted to my sister."

"Come on, now; This is probably your last kiss, and it's probably gonna be mine, too; so who better than my girlfriend's sister?"

I roll my eyes. "Stop being such a perv." But I say it in a joking voice. I can't possibly stay angry with Hal when he's saved my life once, and he really is funny. Sometimes you need people like him to lighten the mood.

"Okay," I tell him, "but _not_ on the lips."

"Works for me," Hal replies. He settles for kissing my cheek.

"Happy birthday," Marius says simply. Link passes by and pats me on the shoulder. He even smiles a little.

Andrea displays a harsher reaction. "Enjoy it, cause it's the last one you'll ever have."

"I'm totally making you a special meal tonight," Lily says. "Odair style. What do you want? Fish? Squirrel? Chipmunk? Deer? Sorry, we're fresh out of pigs."

"I'll take the fish," I answer, chuckling.

When we find the Cornucopia again, sunrise is peeking through our arena's fake sky. There's a new table, right on the edge of the moat. Weapons are organized by district. For Link, there's a bow and quiver of arrows, while Andrea gets an axe. Hal, as I knew he would, is given a spear. And there it is. My sword, keeping comfy inside a sheath. I wrap the sheath's belt around my waist as I take the sword out.

"Best birthday present ever," I say happily to Lily, who picks up a trident. Marius gets a set of throwing knives.

Link nocks an arrow onto his bowstring and turns his head in every direction, looking for victims. We're the only ones here.

"Somebody stand guard at the Cornucopia," he instructs. "Can't have anybody getting more supplies."

"I'll do it," Lily says.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Andrea teases.

Behind Marius, I see the girl from District 7 sprint to grab a crossbow and matching bolts. I think her name's Rayna. Rayna loads the crossbow, just as the District 8 girl approaches her. District 8 falls from a bolt to her neck. Then Rayna makes to leave. Not before Andrea swings her axe, clipping Rayna's right ear clean off. Rayna shoots at Andrea, who slides to her left. With her quick thinking, the bolt penetrates her dominant arm instead of her heart. While Andrea's moaning with pain, Rayna escapes.

"Not so fast!" Link yells. He fires an arrow towards Rayna. She manages to avoid it and keeps running. But Link won't relent, so he chases after her, into the forest.

"There's another one!" Andrea shouts, pointing to a running figure. "I can't risk it with this arm. Catch me in the Cornucopia when you're done."

The tribute she noticed is the District 5 boy. I run at him full force, and we meet as he reaches the weapons table. He grabs a staff. That's not gonna help him against my sword. I slice his chest open, while he smacks me in my right shoulder. But with the shield protecting me, I barely feel his impact. My cut ensured he won't fight at the same level as he would unharmed, giving me a major advantage. I use this advantage and plunge the sword into his heart.

"Nothing personal," I say. "I just wanna win. Looks like the odds aren't in your favor."

Not long after, two tributes arrive together; the boys from Districts 6 and 8. Marius, to my surprise, throws one of his knives, and it strikes the District 6 boy in his stomach. His ally doesn't stop running.

While Marius finishes off District 6- who won't go without a fight- I make the District 8 boy my new target. His favorite weapon, it turns out, is also a sword.

Ooh, sword fight!

We cross blades on the first few strike. Meanwhile, I hear another tribute run into the moat. Hal throws his spear, but the other tribute blocks it. On the next strike, I stab the District 8 boy's thigh. It doesn't faze him, and yet I take a pause. Big mistake. He cuts me just below my neck. I scoot backwards, looking at the boy's feet to determine my next strike. Suddenly-

Hard, cold pain in the back of my head.

Somebody _else_ has knocked me to the ground. When I move my gaze upwards, I see the end points of a trident, and a very familiar face staring me down.

"Lily! It's me!" I yell, throwing my hands up in shock.

Immediately, she looks ashamed. "Enobaria… Oh. I'm so sorry… You know I didn't mean to… You snuck up on me and I couldn't recognize you from behind… Are you bruised?"

"Might be later."

Lily assists me in standing, but then, I discover that my opponent disappeared.

"Darn it," I mutter.

The weapons are all gone now. With it, the second bloodbath dissipated. A raging storm, which lulled into nothing. Three deaths occurred overall in today's battle, and the others who got away aren't exactly in good condition. But our journey is far from over. Eight more deaths are required. They each seem like ten foot walls that I have to ascend. Victory lies at the top, an eternity away.

I put a bandage over my injury- it's pretty shallow- while we recuperate, and Link finally returns, sweating and disappointed. "That girl was too quick for me. I couldn't keep track of her."

"Don't worry. She's gonna die soon, anyways," Hal tells him.

One thing's for sure: I'll never forget this birthday.


	8. Chapter 8

"You're gonna lose more blood if you don't keep still," Link says to Andrea. Like a good district partner, he offers his help with getting the bolt out of her arm.

"How can I be still?" she argues. "This is awful- AGH!"

Link has just removed the bolt without alerting her, quickly and cleanly. He gets to work bandaging the hole in Andrea's arm. The bolt missed her bone by inches- how unfortunate. Blood gushes out like a river, and all the gauze we have can't stop the flow.

"You idiot, you made it worse!" Andrea exclaims at Link, pulling her hair into a high bun with one hand. Her blood stains are everywhere.

"What? Did you have a better idea?"

"Uh, duh. You could've pulled it out more slowly."

"I don't think that would've made a difference," he says. "With your attitude, you should be dead. But I won't murder my district partner, 'cause it would really embarrassing for me. You know; if I win and have to deal with everybody hating on me."

"Aren't you the charmer."

"What's the deal with you, District One?" Lily asks.

"Yeah," I agree. "Do you hate the world or something?"

Andrea forces herself to meet my eyes. "Don't you? Look at us and where we are, for one thing. Newsflash: just because I'm from the luxury district doesn't mean my life is amazing, you know. I've been an orphan since I was five."

"I'm sorry," Lily replies. Hal fiddles with his spear, but I know what he's thinking. He's an orphan, too. Loss is everywhere in Panem. You can't get away from it.

"I still don't like any of you," Andrea replies.

"And I'm still gonna kill you," I tell Andrea. "Count on it."

_Ding_

_Ding_

_Ding_

A parachute is dropping beside us.

No, wait. Check that.

_Three_ parachutes glide down. Each is labeled with our districts. Link and Andrea open theirs first. Inside, they find much-needed bandages, gauze and ointment. Hal and I are rewarded with tomato soup and a loaf of bread.

"Yum," Hal says. I'm salivating over the soup myself. Marius and Lily's parachute holds ropes, which will be perfect for making traps with. This is how we spend most of the evening; weaving some nets. Resting up. Eating and drinking. Washing blood from our clothes.

We've finished breakfast when I feel the icy tap of water on my shoulder. Just a tiny drop. It starts coming down, rapidly gathering speed, until it's pounding me relentlessly.

"The trees!" Marius shouts. "We need to hang onto a tree!"

Easier said than done, seeing as we're still in the hillside, and the forest seems to be just a speck in my line of vision. Moving becomes a difficult task. We all plop in the mud several times, stumbling towards safety. Lily and I grab each other's hands as our feet sink farther downward.

It only gets worse. Turns into the fastest, deadliest mudslide I've ever experienced. As hard as I try to keep standing, my feet fly out from under me. I instinctively let go of Lily's hand, wrap my arms around the back of my head while I plop into the mud… and my elbow twists. Hard. Beside me, Lily has fallen, too, but she seems okay. She protected her head like I did. Great thing, that our weapons are strapped tightly to our backpacks, so they won't get lost. Andrea, Hal and Marius are below us, sliding and slipping to who knows where. I don't see an end to the mudslide. As for Link, he's nowhere in my line of vision. I keep wishing that he sunk under the mud. He's my biggest competition, honestly.

But he barrels into me a few moments later. I think he wasted time looking for something that he dropped.

"I see a dry spot coming up!" Hal yells. "Jump to your left!"

I can't find the spot yet, but when he grabs onto something, I see it. A rather small patch of land that hasn't been touched by mud. It'll do, though. I think my allies and I can all fit on it. Maybe. Lily takes my hand again and pushes us both with her powerful swimmer's arms. We used to swim lap races a lot in District 4. She always beat me. Together, we keep pushing across the mudslide… but we miss the dry patch.

Can I panic yet?

No, I won't panic.

My faith proves useful, because soon, I see another safe haven. Trees.

We jump onto the closest branches available. Since I won't be too careful, I scale higher up the tree. And finally-_finally_-we're out of danger. I feel like I've dragged myself around with giant weights attached to my body.

Lily is crying and laughing hysterically. "We made it."

My other allies are spaced out here and there, but all are accounted for.

Ugh, hanging on this tree is killing my already-busted elbow. I think I dislocated it.

Now the mudslide has risen to meet me in height. That's my estimate, anyway. I'd be dead or still choking if it weren't for our escape. The District 9 boy slides by, reaching for branches, desperately fighting to keep his head from going under. A losing battle that ends with his cannon.

The mudslide rages on for a minute longer. Then, abruptly, it disappears, and the arena floor has returned to its normal state.

Ok, I have to admit, that was really cool.

Lily and I reunite with Link, Hal, Andrea and Marius underneath a brush, one that opens up to the Cornucopia. That's how far we came on our fun little ride. Thankfully, sponsors send me a sling for my elbow to heal in, but now I'm at a disadvantage. I dread what tomorrow brings.

"I totally wanna do that again!" Hal cheers.


	9. Chapter 9

Only the District 9 boy died in the mudslide. We're getting closer and closer to becoming the final six tributes.

What happens when allies turn on one another, you may ask?

Mayhem.

We've got two other tributes to find first, but it would be easier if we weren't given so much space to dwell in. Which is why our morning search is a bust.

As our day wears on, I see something I didn't pay attention to before. Marius isn't himself. His eyes are bloodshot red, his face, gaunt. I know for a fact he's been eating and drinking just as much as us, so I wonder if he has an infection. He walks slower than he used to.

"Are you okay?" Lily asks him.

"I'm… fine…"

"Don't lie to me."

I forgot how bossy Lily can get. Comes with the territory of being eldest in your family, I guess.

"Hey, District One, did you take my spear?" I hear Hal say to Link.

"No, _District Two_," Link replies bitterly_._ "I don't need your spear when I have my bow and arrows, and a club. You must've lost it. Not that I'm surprised."

"You calling me dumb?"

And there goes the male camaraderie. I'm not sure Hal and Link had it to begin with, though.

"No, I'm not calling you dumb, District Two. I'm just saying, sometimes guys like you don't use their heads; they prefer using their-"

"Oh, are you jealous because I got laid before I died and you didn't?" Hal argues. "That's a good reason for taking my spear."

"Listen loud and clear: I. Did. Not. Take. Your. Spear. You left it over by the fire. See it?"

"Right," my district partner replies, like a light bulb just went off in his head.

Lily's been eavesdropping on their conversation, too, and she rolls her eyes in my direction. "Boys."

"Tell me about it," Andrea agrees. "My brother's the only guy in my life. I see other guys, and… ugh. Don't even get me started on my first and only boyfriend. Scumbag."

Andrea had a boyfriend? Hard to believe. I think I know which one of them broke it off.

We've been all over the arena since the mudslide happened, and now that we've set up camp again, I can relax.

It gets better when I see a tribute's bag lying in the distance. They must've died without the bag on their person, since the hovercraft didn't pick it up.

Score!

"You guys," I say to my allies, "I'll be right back. Saw something interesting…"

They acknowledge me faintly, but- with the exception of Lily- they obviously don't care where I go.

I have to die sometime, right?

Anyways… I slink away from our camp and towards the bag, shifting my eyes around for any sign of a tribute. Not a soul is in sight.

Yes! The bag's all mine.

There's a pretty good haul inside it; a rope; a bag of granola bars; an empty water bottle. How could someone leave their bag out? I wear mine all the time, even when I sleep. There's no excuse for dying without it.

Whatever. More for me!

I stuff these items in my bag, giddy with happiness. I won't share this with anyone; why should I? They know I have a great chance of-

Oh, crap, that hurts.

Hurts so badly.

What? Did somebody just whack me in the head?

They hit me again.

And I black out.

* * *

"Enobaria! Can you hear me?"

"Lily?" I ask.

She comes into view, and relief is written on her face.

"W-what happened?"

"You were knocked out," Hal replies from behind her. "Somebody ransacked your bag. Obviously, they didn't wanna kill you."

"But they tried. What did they take? Please tell me they didn't take my clubs or my sword!" I demand.

"No."

"Thank God. They weren't aiming for weapons 'cause they've got their own," I reason.

"That won't help when you're starving later today," Andrea points out rather happily.

_Enobaria, you dumbo_.

Did I really just fall for such an easy scam? Phoebe and Brutus tried to warn me that it might happen if I'm not using my brain…

I must be more exhausted than I thought.

_Don't worry,_ I think to myself. _You can hunt animals and drink water by cupping your hands. _Our food supply's running low, anyways.

"We're gonna get walking again," Link says. "Maybe we can find the one who stole from you, Enobaria. Come on."

But Lily is frozen to her core. She's kneeling over something and won't budge an inch.

"What's the hold up?" Hal asks her impatiently. I move for better view, which is when I see that the object of her attention is a body.

It's Marius.

I've never seen Lily so pale with fear. "He's not breathing. But maybe some part of him still works. If nothing else, I wanna stay with him…"

…_until he's gone, _I answer in my head.

"How about this," Link suggests: "We'll go find water and food, and you can watch our stuff in the meantime. Keep your partner company.

Lily nods gratefully. "Yeah, that works."

"I'm staying, too," I find myself saying.

Andrea and Link share amused glances, like they can't believe I'm wasting my breath on Marius. They don't know that I'm from District 4 originally. But Hal knows, and he nods along with Lily.

Marius makes for a quiet companion. It's really coming. Like a thief in the night, another tribute will soon be taken.

Three minutes are all he has left. Then his cannon rings out.

Death is a curious thing. It recalls memories of the deceased, memories that you thought were buried deep. That's what happens to me when Marius dies.

Back in District 4, Marius was an awesome fisherman. He could reel them in faster than anybody I'd ever seen. He fought like a champ when it counted, didn't complain when he had to kill even though it clearly bothered him.

Deep down, I won't pretend it doesn't bother me, either. Because it truly does.

Had you fooled, didn't I?


End file.
